Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

Written by Luyanda Seluleko Mhlongo 

Published on 2 October 2026

Who is the party?

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a political party established in 2013. The party describes itself as a radical, leftist, anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movement focused on economic freedom. In its 2026 local government election material, the EFF presents its programme around improving basic services, creating economic opportunities and strengthening municipalities.

What is the EFF promising for local government?

The EFF's 2026 local government programme focuses on issues that directly affect residents, including water, electricity, sanitation, waste collection, jobs, local businesses, housing, municipal infrastructure and support for poor households. The party says municipalities should become places where services are delivered and where local economic activity and employment are developed.

Water and Sanitation

The EFF has promised to provide reliable water services and to repair reported water leaks within 24 hours. It has also committed to addressing unsafe sanitation, including bucket toilets and unsafe pit latrines. The party links these proposals to its broader plan to improve and maintain municipal infrastructure.

What this could mean for residents:

For residents who experience water leaks, water shortages or poor sanitation, the proposal means that an EFF-run municipality would aim to respond more quickly to these problems and put greater attention on maintaining water and sanitation infrastructure. The promise is a proposed course of action by the party; it does not mean that every water problem would automatically be resolved.

Electricity and Basic Services

The EFF says qualifying poor households should receive free basic services, including water, electricity, sanitation and refuse removal. The party has also spoken about making electricity more affordable and reliable.

What this could mean for residents:

Poor households that meet the municipality's qualifying conditions could receive certain basic municipal services without paying for the amount covered by the free-basic-services policy. The practical effect would depend on how the policy is implemented, the qualifying criteria and the resources available to the municipality.

Jobs and Young People

Creating jobs is an important part of the EFF's local-government programme. The party proposes that municipalities directly employ workers to perform important municipal functions rather than relying heavily on outside contractors. It also proposes that at least 40% of municipal employment opportunities go to people between 18 and 35 years old. In addition, the party proposes directing 50% of municipal procurement opportunities towards youth-owned businesses and cooperatives.

The EFF also proposes using municipalities to support local economic activity, including local businesses, cooperatives, township enterprises and other forms of local production.

What this could mean for residents:

If implemented, more municipal work could be done by people employed directly by municipalities. Young people could also have more opportunities to apply for municipal jobs or supply goods and services to municipalities. Supporting local businesses could create opportunities for businesses operating within communities to participate in municipal economic activity.

Land and local economic development

The EFF places significant attention on municipal land and local economic development. Its 2026 programme proposes stopping the sale of municipal land and making unused land and buildings available for activities such as agriculture, community use and economic development. The programme also proposes local agricultural projects and youth employment opportunities connected to these activities.

What this could mean for residents:

The proposal is intended to make some municipal land and buildings available for productive uses instead of leaving them unused. Depending on implementation, this could create spaces for farming, community activities and economic opportunities.

Gender equality and safety

The EFF has proposed a minimum of 50% representation of women across municipal leadership structures, management, employment and procurement programmes. Its 2026 local-government programme also includes measures relating to safety and support for victims of gender-based violence, including victim-support services. Some of these measures include programs that combat partriarchy, gender-based discrimination, and the active involvement of men in the fight against femicide.

What this could mean for residents:

The representation proposal would mean that women should make up at least half of the relevant municipal structures and opportunities identified by the party. Support services for people affected by gender-based violence would provide local assistance to victims.

However, residents should note that municipalities do not control the entire response to gender-based violence. Policing, criminal investigations and prosecutions involve other parts of government.

How does the EFF say it will achieve and fund these promises?

The EFF says municipalities need stronger internal capacity. One of its proposals is to directly employ workers who perform municipal functions instead of outsourcing important work. The party has also argued for changes to the way municipalities are funded.

In a 2025 submission on the Division of Revenue Bill, the EFF proposed increasing the share of nationally raised revenue allocated to local government. It argued that municipalities, particularly poorer municipalities, require greater financial support to perform their responsibilities.

The EFF has also proposed using municipal procurement to support local businesses and cooperatives. Its 2026 programme proposes directing a large share of municipal spending towards local SMMEs, cooperatives and township enterprises.

National Treasury confirms that municipalities receive money from both their own revenue sources and transfers from nationally raised revenue. The local-government equitable share is one of these transfers and is intended to supplement municipal revenue so that municipalities can perform their functions.

Therefore, the EFF's approach to funding includes seeking a larger allocation to local government, using municipal resources differently and increasing the role of municipalities in local economic activity.

Are these promises part of the duties of local government?

Some of the EFF's promises concern responsibilities that fall directly within local government, while others involve responsibilities shared with or mainly handled by other spheres of government.

The Constitution lists electricity and gas reticulation and water and sanitation services among local-government matters. It also provides for functions such as municipal planning, municipal public transport, stormwater management and certain municipal public works.

This means that promises about improving municipal electricity distribution, water and sanitation services and related infrastructure are connected to functions that municipalities have responsibility for.

Other issues require cooperation between different spheres of government. For example, unemployment is not solely a municipal responsibility. Municipalities can support local economic development and create opportunities through their own activities, but national and provincial government also have important responsibilities relating to employment and economic policy.

Housing also involves more than one sphere of government. Similarly, gender-based violence cannot be dealt with by municipalities alone because policing and criminal justice are not municipal functions.

The Constitution describes local government as a distinct sphere that is interdependent and interrelated with national and provincial government. Municipalities therefore operate within a wider system of government rather than working completely on their own.

In summary

The EFF's 2026 local-government programme focuses on basic services, municipal infrastructure, jobs, youth opportunities, local economic development, municipal capacity and support for poor households. Its proposals include free basic services for qualifying households, faster responses to water leaks, improved sanitation and waste collection, direct municipal employment, youth employment and procurement targets, and greater use of municipal land for economic and community activities.

Some of these proposals fall directly within municipal responsibilities, particularly those concerning water, sanitation, electricity reticulation and other municipal services. Other proposals, such as employment, housing and responses to gender-based violence, involve responsibilities shared across different parts of government.

The information above separates what the EFF says it will do from what municipalities are legally responsible for, so that residents can understand the party's proposals and the role that local government can play in implementing them.